A brilliant stream of light erupted as a massive magic circle emerged from the airship.
Acnologia, who had maintained a highly playful, dismissive attitude until now, seemed stirred by something.
His attacks suddenly turned frenzied.
His incredibly powerful muscles bulged violently, easily breaking free from Makarov's restraint and hurling the giant mercilessly toward the airship.
The entire airship was nearly shattered by Makarov's heavy impact.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Makarov instantly reverted to his normal form, and Laxus hurriedly caught him.
The various Magics released by everyone proved utterly ineffective.
Natsu, Gajeel, and the others flying through the air were easily swatted away with simple head shakes and casual hand swings.
Under Acnologia's destruction, the airship was completely disabled, losing its ability to fly and plummeting rapidly toward the ocean.
Meanwhile, the magical light that had provoked the Black Dragon's frenzy shot out from the falling airship, striking fiercely against his jaw.
Compressed dark Death God Power violently exploded!
Even with Acnologia's formidable, magic-immune physique, he staggered backward slightly.
Ankh, entirely enveloped in Death God Power, hovered in the air and launched another heavy strike toward Acnologia.
Acnologia seemed to grow even more frenzied, a dark power surging around him as well.
"As expected... it's also Divine Power."
Ankh watched as Acnologia, covered in his own twisted Divine Power, grew increasingly terrifying in aura.
Yet Ankh's expression showed no trace of fear.
The Black Dragon swung his massive Dragon Claw, roaring as he smashed down toward Ankh.
Ankh, freely manipulating Titan Gravity magic, inverted in the sky, narrowly dodging Acnologia's Dragon Claw before gathering power mid-air once again.
"Death God's Roar!"
An overwhelmingly corrosive roar erupted, striking Acnologia's chest squarely during the brief opening left by the Black Dragon's attack.
However, this frequently used divine skill of Ankh's, which was normally highly capable of breaking defenses, felt like a small waterfall merging into a vast ocean when it hit Acnologia.
Despite its immense physical force, it had little magical effect.
The dark power around the Black Dragon fluctuated violently.
Acnologia let out a Dragon's Roar mixed with both pain and sadistic excitement, abruptly raising his other Dragon Claw to smash down mercilessly on Ankh!
Facing this unrestrained physical attack, Ankh naturally activated Titan Gravity's repulsive force without hesitation.
As the Black Dragon's strike descended, spatial ripples visibly formed around Ankh.
The immense force was briefly rebounded, yet the Black Dragon continued pouring out strength endlessly, displaying a violent aesthetic that seemed determined to tear the vast space itself apart.
BOOM!!
After a prolonged stalemate, the outcome of the clash was finally decided.
A circular shockwave exploded and scattered across the sky.
Ankh's body plummeted into the sea like a missile, stirring up ocean waves several meters high.
It took a long while before Ankh, clutching his chest with a pained expression, burst back out from the ocean.
Meanwhile, the Black Dragon drifted lightly backward for dozens of meters before quickly stabilizing itself.
The Dragon Claw it had used to attack now bore some superficial marks, but they vanished in an instant, restored by the dragon's innate, terrifying constitution.
Acnologia erupted into an even more ferocious Dragon's Roar in the sky, as if brutally mocking Ankh for lacking the raw strength to actually defeat him.
Ignoring the dragon's taunting roar, Ankh touched his body, feeling that several ribs inside seemed heavily broken.
Although they were rapidly healing due to the passive blessing of the God of Life, the pain was still hard to conceal.
His gaze wavered slightly as he watched a distant ship gradually moving away.
That's right... everyone, get far away from here quickly...
The previous escape ship... had indeed been destroyed beyond repair.
The escape vessel had just been annihilated by the Black Dragon, and the one everyone was now piloting... was a battleship Ankh had impulsively decided to seize earlier on Tenrou Island.
Namely... the battleship of Grimoire Heart!
The members of Fairy Tail were currently aboard the dark battleship, watching Ankh's brutal battle with the Black Dragon through the portholes.
Witnessing the seemingly invincible Ankh being smashed so easily into the sea, Natsu immediately panicked.
He rushed to the control room and yelled at Ophiuchus.
"Turn back! Ankh needs us!"
Gray also tried to physically seize control of the ship, angrily stating, "We can't just run away like this! Ankh is still out there!"
The noise behind them grew louder, but Ophiuchus remained utterly unshaken.
Suppressing her own inner turmoil, she gripped the control stick tightly and said in a low voice.
"Ankh's order to me was to take everyone away, no matter what happens. We cannot turn back."
"We never agreed to his orders!"
Mirajane rushed toward the hatch, with Erza close behind.
However, before the two could open the door and charge out, Laxus heavily blocked the entrance.
Laxus steadied his erratic breathing and spoke as calmly as possible. "Ankh wouldn't make an irrational decision. Let's trust him."
Makarov watched helplessly through the porthole, his heart deeply tormented.
'Staying behind to cover the retreat... was originally something an old man like me should have done...'
Meanwhile, a grim-faced Ultear stood before Laxus and whispered, "I'm not a member of your guild. I'm going back!"
Laxus stood his ground firmly.
Looking at Jellal, Midnight, and the others behind her, he fell silent for a moment before saying.
"You are Ankh's companions too. Please respect his choice."
"Bastard, you—!"
An anxious Racer grabbed Laxus by the collar, ready to force his way out, when Laxus suddenly roared.
"Do you think I'm not worried?! He is my best friend!"
His voice tinged with immense pain, the previously noisy battleship fell silent once more, everyone standing completely still in a dejected stupor.
"Trust him. Ankh has never let us down before, has he?" After releasing his inner turmoil, Laxus rapidly calmed down.
His gaze was dim as he watched the solitary figure confronting the Black Dragon behind the airship.
The argument subsided.
Lucy tightly clutched the golden Ophiuchus Celestial Spirit Key that Ankh had personally handed her right before leaving the airship, his final words still echoing in her ears.
"Tell everyone I will be back. Don't worry about me."
"And...take Ophiuchus for now. If... never mind, wait until I return alive, then give it back to me personally."
When the airship shattered, Ophiuchus—already positioned exactly as planned—immediately piloted the stolen Grimoire Heart warship and swiftly rescued the falling guild members.
'Ankh had laid out an alternative escape route for everyone.'
'Then he himself... must have one too, right?'
Lucy gripped the key incredibly tightly, but her heart refused to settle.
No matter how hard she prayed, she couldn't suppress the overwhelming sense of unease.
'Mother... First Master... and Gods... anyone, please... I hope Ankh returns safely this time too...'
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